


Coffee Moon

by GhostHand



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Gift Fic, M/M, please forgive i'm always so tired when i type this, will add characters as they appear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-01-06 18:54:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12216873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostHand/pseuds/GhostHand
Summary: Gabriel Reyes is a bit of a paradox: both creature of the night and coffee shop shift manager. Jack Morrison is an awkward turtle who knows more than he lets on. They're both idiots who could use a person to lean on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [storylord4242](https://archiveofourown.org/users/storylord4242/gifts).



> A belated birthday gift for my friend! Just a forewarning, I only write this between the hours of 1 AM and 7 AM, so it's uh... a bit different from how I usually write. It's also gonna be around 5-7ish chapters because any more and I will implode.

Gabriel thought he was pretty decent at being an adult. He had a job, paid his bills on time, ate at least two meals a day, and sometimes he even managed to get some sleep. All in all he could be doing worse. The fact that Starwatch Coffee allowed its employees to drink however much java they wanted was quite the bonus, and boy did he abuse that privilege. Having the morning shift at work did however tend to put a dent in his attempts to be a working member of society.

As Gabe made his way through the vaguely downtown area, he checked his phone and sped up a little. It was a quaint area, lots of rustic store fronts all dolled up for the crowds heading further into the city. He cared more for the short distance to parks and rolling hills than the aesthetics personally. That and work was just a few blocks from his apartment complex. There was another reason to roll out of bed before 5:30 in the goddamn morning besides that coveted Caffѐ Americano, though. Coming up to the brick storefront, he pushed up his hood just enough to see that reason. A very different kind of Americano was leaning against the glass of the door, looking listlessly out into the dark sky. The orange streetlights were still illuminating the sidewalks, but Gabe had enough light to see his coworker just fine.

Jack Morrison was quite a sight, especially with the barest light of morning hinting at his silhouette, the crisp lines of his simple clothes and leather jacket. They were the same height, but where Gabe was a rectangular wall with muscles Jack was more of a dorito- broad chest and shoulders with a deceptively small waist. Add in the neatly combed blond hair and eyes a more vibrant blue than any human deserved to have and Gabe could’ve sworn Jack stepped right out of his dreams. He’d be perfect if it wasn’t for his personality.

“Hey, Gabriel,” Jack greeted as Gabe approached. “Glad to see you’re on time today.”

Instead of correcting him or snapping back, Gabe could only grunt. He wasn’t capable of forming words yet, he knew this, Jack knew this, every barista that had the misfortune of working morning shift knew this. Why Jack felt the need to attempt communication despite this knowledge he had no idea.

“It’s starting to stay darker longer, have you noticed?” Jack asked as Gabe fished the keys out of his hoodie pocket, detangling it from a pair of headphones. Yes, Gabe had noticed. He liked it because it meant fewer people were out and about to bother him when he decided to go on a random night run.

“I’m not really a fan of it,” Jack continued. “That means we’re going to get cold soon, and everything’s gonna start dying off then get covered in snow. Then we’ll get dozens of people tracking in slush and letting all that freezing wind in. So annoying.”

Gabe jammed the key in the lock and got the door open without punching Jack in the throat, which he considered a success. Still, the day was young and Jack always had the potential to be even more insufferable. Oh he’s sure Jack probably meant well, but everything he said came across so matter-of-factly and a touch gloomy.

The lights were turned on and the two put their jackets in the breakroom as Jack prattled on. Gabe grunted and hummed every so often when asked a direct question, but his goal was to set everything up just enough that he could make himself a cup of espresso.

“We’re not going to be busy until the afternoon today,” Jack was saying, “since school started back up and all.”

With a sigh Gabe dragged his hand down his face. He began brewing as Jack set up the pastry case. God he couldn’t wait until his other barista came in so Jack would quiet down some. The man only seemed to ramble like this when it was just the two of them. It might be because Lena, though with a penchant for being late, was a ball of energy in the morning and talked everyone’s ears off. But it could also be because Gabe was less intimidating when he was grumbling and shuffling around like a zombie. He just didn’t have the energy to snap at people like usual.

By the time Lena arrived Jack had managed to cover school, holidays, the latest movies, classic movies, and somehow cycled back to the weather and plants. Gabe barely spared him any eye contact, instead banging his head into the machines a couple times and finishing opening set up. He was finally,  _ finally _ pouring his first cup of many when the bell above the door rung, signalling the perky university student’s entrance.

“Heya!” Lena panted as she paused with one hand propping herself up on her knees.

“Did you run all the way here again?” Jack asked, shaking his head.

Lena straightened up and flashed a wide smile. “Heh, well, yeah. I realized I left my phone behind when I was halfway here.”

Jack snorted. “You’d be fine if you came even an hour late, I’m sure. Gabriel has a soft spot for you anyways. Isn’t that right?”

He turned his head to Gabe for a response but only got a noncommittal glare and a middle finger. It was true; Gabe learned pretty quickly that Lena was one of the best baristas they had, and him and Jack always managed to open just fine without her, so he was willing to let her chronic tardiness slide, but it would look bad if he let them know that.

Lena started undoing her bomber jacket as she walked back behind the counter. “Hi Gabe. You had your coffee fix yet?”

He simply held up his cup in a toast and took a sip. She laughed and skittered off to the break room.

“Gotcha! I’ll give it a few minutes to kick in then,” she called out behind her.

If only Jack had the sense of mind to do the same, Gabe thought to himself. Speaking of, said beef cake was staring at him out of the corner of his eye, watching carefully as Gabe drank his coffee like his life depended on it. Gabe always felt when someone was watching him and it made him unnerved, like a trapped animal waiting for fight or flight. Which, in a way, was true, though he liked to think of himself more as a high-functioning monster than an animal.

Gabe set down his cup and wiped his beard with the back of his arm before shooting a look right back at Jack, who immediately jumped and looked quickly back to the sandwiches he was putting out to warm. In true monster fashion he smirked, satisfied he had startled the weirdo.

“Alright loves!” Lena came bounding out, smoothing out her apron. She reached below the counter and grabbed a cloth and bottle to wipe down the tables. “I’m ready for a great day!”

“Ugh. No one should be that energetic in the morning,” Gabe growled out.

“The beast speaks!” she mockingly gasped, mouth in a surprised ‘o’.

“Shut up and go clean, runt,” he grunted before downing more of his brew.

With a two fingered salute Lena marched on. “Will do, boss!”

“Aw, come on, Gabriel,” Jack chided, sparing a half amused half scornful look over at him. “Just because you’re not a morning person doesn’t mean the rest of the world is.”

Gabe shrugged. “I don’t get how you two can wake up and want to stay awake. How can you be so put together in the morning? You haven’t even had your crap latte yet.”

“Because I know how to keep a sleep schedule instead of relying on caffeine?” He gave a small smirk. “Better be careful, though. That almost sounded like a compliment.”

“Don’t sass me Jack. I’m still only one cup in.” To make his point Gabe polished off the Americano and went to fill his second cup.

The barista shook his head and waved a sandwich disapprovingly in the air. “Are you gonna manage to get three cups in before we open? You know we do have to save some of that for the customers, right?”

Gabe snorted and looked over at the stack of sandwiches Jack was carefully organizing. His bottom lip was stuck out just a bit as he concentrated on the labels. “You only get to talk back if you give me your secrets for looking perfect,” he muttered.

“Hm?”

“I said give me your secrets instead of criticizing my sleep. Then you earn the right to talk back,” Gabe supplied, quick to cover up. He was so glad Jack never seemed to pick up on his little admittances, getting too focused on his job to pay full attention. Lena of course knew right away and teased him endlessly about it but thankfully never told Jack about his aesthetic infatuation. He had threatened to fire her if she breathed a word yet somehow most of the staff found it to be a topic worthy of gossip.

“That sounds like a tempting offer but I get the feeling you would bite my head off if I did,” Jack sighed, interrupting Gabe’s train of thought. He closed the display case and flashed a smile before leaving the counter to flip their sign to OPEN.

Gabe leaned back against the cupboards and raised his coffee to his lips, hiding his toothy smirk. “Probably,” he murmured.


	2. Chapter 2

The wind howled through the trees, blowing leaves across the gravel of the parking lot. Gabe shivered as he looked about the beginning of the trail. No cars besides his own and it smelled like nobody had passed by in a good while. Of course there was still no guarantee no one was on the hiking trail at this time of night but if there was Gabe would avoid them. Just as long as no one saw him butt naked in the middle of the night as he quickly tiptoed across the small stones that were jabbing the bottom of his feet.

He managed to get to the packed dirt of the trail and sighed, his breath coming out in a brief white fog. It would get more annoying when the cold picked up and snow fell; he always hated the sting of winter on his human feet. But there was almost no one in the winter and he could stay out in his fur much longer, running through the woods to his delight, shedding off the worries of his daytime self.

Gabe groaned and shivered once more before he fell to the ground. At least for tonight he could allow himself to indulge, just a little.

\--

Gabe yawned and scratched his beard as he leaned his forehead against the shop door, flipping through the junk in his hoodie for the keys. He had stayed out longer last night than he intended to, and now he was paying for it by being more out of it than usual. The gamey taste of a rabbit was still in his mouth, and if he closed his eyes for too long he could still see the trees whizzing by, feel the bushes whipping at his face as he ran.

He growled and shook the thought from his head. It was probably the closeness of the full moon that was making him yearn to go back there so much, making his joints ache to transform again. It made him pissy for the entire week to boot. That part about being a werewolf Gabe could do without honestly. He huffed, pulling his wallet out mistakenly for the third time. He muttered a curse which got caught in another yawn. Jack looked down at him in concern from his place by the door.

“Sleepless night?” His voice was quiet, a little more raspy than Gabe was used to hearing.

“Mhm,” Gabe hummed. Were those his house keys or his shop keys he was feeling?

“Same here,” Jack sighed.

Gabe spared a glance out of the corner of his eye; Jack’s eyes were droopy and red tinted. This was probably the first time he had seen Jack not all bright eyed and bushy tailed. He pulled out what felt like a metal ring and his headphones came with, dragging out some loose change and a pack of gum. “Dammit.”

“Oh here, let me help.”

The two bent down at the same time, bumping heads in the process. Gabe fell back on his butt, one hand pushing his beanie up to feel the potential bump and the other holding himself up. Jack meanwhile stumbled back and fell into a crouch while groaning.

“Shoot, sorry, sorry,” he mumbled. “You alright, Gabriel?”

Gabe sighed. He had had enough of Jack prattling on in the mornings, calling him his full name all the time, and having to stay awake through sunrise. “Stop calling me that, boyscout.”

Jack stopped rubbing the bridge of his nose and stared at the other man. “What?”

“Only my mom and people that don’t know me call me Gabriel,” he rasped out as he began picking his stuff up. He sighed as he realized he’d have to detangle his headphones from the keyring for the shop.

Jack was surprisingly quiet. A quick glance show that he was still looking at Gabe like he had grown a new head.

“What?” Gabe spat. He was not in the mood to be stared at today. What freakshow thing had he done now? Were his ears a little too pointy? Was there a hint of fang somewhere?

“Sorry,” Jack managed, “it’s just… I thought you didn’t talk before you had your coffee.”

The wires were wrapped tight around the keys. Why did they always knot themselves impossibly within seconds of being in his pocket? He didn’t have the coordination for this right now. With an angry tug Gabe got his keys free, but at the expense of ripping the entire bud off one of the wires. “Fuck!”

Jack flinched. Gabe shoved the useless thing back in his pocket and stood up.

“Does it fucking matter? It’s too early in the damn morning to bother with this shit.” He jammed the keys in the lock and ran a shaking hand over his head before pushing his beanie back down over his forehead. “Coffee doesn’t fix everything.”

The tall man was still on the ground, wide blue eyes looking up at Gabe. Seeing his shock, hearing the hammering of fear in his heart, Gabe felt a pang of guilt. He’d been on the morning shift with Jack for a couple months now, so he’d been in his sour full moon mood around Jack before but he was typically pretty good about keeping his temper in. He didn’t like snapping at his co-workers but for some reason he was just not on his game this week.

“Sorry. I’m uh,” Gabe started, then cleared his throat. “I’m gonna go set up.”

With that, he entered the coffee shop and left Jack to pick himself back up.

\--

Jack ended up excusing himself early that day. He had come up to Gabe and wouldn’t even look him in the eye as he said he felt sick and had to go home. Gabe saw him swaying slightly, face pale, and watched him leave. The guilt was slowly building in his gut, gnawing like a rat on wood. Jack was probably indeed sick but Gabe couldn’t help but feel he was part of the reason Jack couldn’t wait to get out of there.

The thought followed him throughout his shift, causing him to fall silent and drift off as he brewed up teas and lattes. Lena looked on in concern and offered snacks and an open ear but gave him space beyond that. She knew he was bristly around this time of the month, even if she didn’t know why, and with Jack acting strange too she wasn’t going to pry. Instead she did what she could to help by handling the customers so he didn’t have to interact with them.

When Gabe got off his shift he detoured to the supermarket to buy a few pounds of meat. It was probably best if he stayed inside the next couple of nights; maybe it would improve his mood if he curbed his time as a beast. Staying out as a wolf too long did have the unfortunate side effect of bleeding over into his human side, something he’d learned the hard way when he was younger. Nothing like losing your temper and growing fangs and claws in a bar to teach you a life lesson. He had done pretty good at fighting off the security that tried to escort him out for being caught with a fake ID, but when one of the six guys that started ganging up on him pulled out a silver pocket knife and slashed him across the face he decided maybe he should dial things down a little.

Gabe rubbed his face, feeling the scars that remained from his mistakes. That was something that inevitably came up in conversations that Gabe never talked about, though Jack had only brought it up once in his pre-opening babbles. One look from Gabe and he had changed subjects like nothing happened. Truth be told, Gabe wasn’t quite as annoyed as he made it seem by Jack’s talks. Oh sure, at first they pissed him off to no end, but eventually he got used to them. He particularly calmed down after he noticed that as soon as another worker showed up Jack would quiet down, be more reserved in what he chose to talk about, and Gabe began to realize that maybe the talks were more for Jack than they were for Gabe.

The dull rattle of carts filled his ears and provided a decent distraction. He grabbed a cart less for his stuff and more just so he had something to lean on. The scent of coffee followed him to the frozen meat section and he grabbed a couple steaks and chicken breasts without bothering to look at the price. Gabe considered whether or not he’d bother trying to cook something tonight. He figured he might as well be on the safe side and, after going through a quick run through of what he probably had left in his cupboards, the tired man swung down to produce to pick up some lemons and olive oil.

As he left the self checkout Gabe was more than a little surprised to see the back of a familiar blonde head. He did a double take and yeah, that was Jack, bagging a bottle of pills and looking little better than he did when he left work a few hours earlier. Gabe considered whether or not he should bother the man but he didn’t have much choice in the matter when Jack turned to leave and jumped at the sight of Gabe just standing there, staring at him.

“O-oh! Gabriel. You startled me,” he said, putting a hand to his chest.

Immediately Gabe’s brow furrowed and Jack looked down, apologetic and with the same reluctance as before. “I already told you to stop calling me that. It’s just Gabe.”

“Sorry.”

Gabe sighed. “Sorry for being an ass earlier, Jack. I know I don’t have the, uh, best handle on my temper sometimes.”

Jack looked up again, brow quirked. Thankfully he seemed less meek and more wary. They began walking toward the exit. “Sometimes? I thought you were grumpy all the time.”

“Well yes, but I have many levels of being a jerk,” Gabe said with a laugh to lighten the mood. “I wasn’t mad at you. It wasn’t right of me to take it out on you.”

Jack shrugged. “It’s forgiven already. So, uh. Grocery shopping?”

Gabe looked down at his bags of meat and nodded his head. “Kind of. What about you? You looked ready to hurl earlier, you sure you should be out of bed?”

“Heh, I’m not playing hooky if that’s what you’re implying.” The blonde held up his small haul. “Ran out of meds so I had to grab more.”

“Shouldn’t you have someone else do that for you?” Gabe asked, cocking his head. “I mean, at the very least you shouldn’t be driving. You still don’t look too good.”

Jack’s face turned pink and he ran his fingers through the shaved hair on the side of his head. “I uh. Don’t drive. I live alone, too. But I do live nearby, so it’s not like I have far to go.”

“No shit? Same. The living thing, not the driving thing. I have a car. I just don’t like to use it ‘cause it’s a piece of junk.” Gabe mentally rolled his eyes at his own word vomit. That’s what he gets for not interacting with people much. “Anyway! Uh. Where do you live? Maybe I should walk you home.”

For some reason Jack’s face got even redder. “I don’t- I mean, I’m fine, and you have all those bags-”

“Jack it’s like three bags, and I’m a big boy. You on the other hand look ready to faint. I ain’t trying to be a creep, just trying to help.”

“Right.” Jack calmed down enough to tell him his address and Gabe’s eyebrows rose.

“Really? Holy shit!” Gabe started laughing. If it wasn’t for the bags he’d probably be clutching his stomach. Of course fate would be twisted like this.

Jack looked mildly uncomfortable meanwhile. “What is it? Is it the neighborhood? Because it’s not actually that bad-”

“No, no, I just. Can’t believe neither of us realized it before,” Gabe gasped out. Jack still looked confused as heck. “We’re fucking neighbors, boyscout! I live in the apartment to the left of yours.”

The reveal dawned on Jack’s face and Gabe could practically see the thoughts blooming on his face. There was shock, embarrassment, confusion, embarrassment again… Their apartment complex was on the cheap side, and the walls were old and thin. Mr. Good Morning was probably going through every too loud noise he either made or heard and wondering what Gabe knew. Eventually his face settled and his reaction was a simple “oh.”

Gabe chuckled. “‘Oh?’ That’s what you have to say?”

“Well, I don’t know what else you want me to say,” Jack said airily, still dumbfounded. “I’ve been living there for a year and never noticed you coming in or out, or recognized your voice.”

Gabe focused on the sidewalk ahead of them, following the familiar route back home. “I’m usually asleep or out. What about you? I can’t believe we never ran into each other, not even for work.”

“I don’t really leave except for work or the store,” Jack admitted. He didn’t seem ashamed about it, just straightforward. “Pretty sure I leave way ahead of you for work anyways. I get there about fifteen or twenty minutes ahead of you every day.”

“Yeah yeah, you’re the picture of punctuality and perfection.” They came up on the stoplight just before their apartment complex so Gabe bumped Jack’s shoulder to show he was kidding, momentarily forgetting how dizzy Jack had been and causing him to stumble. Luckily Jack caught himself. “Shit! Sorry. You alright?”

“You’re the worst escort I’ve ever had.” Jack grinned.

Gabe, relieved, let a smile make it’s way onto his face, too. The light changed and they crossed the street. There were no more incidents on the way, thankfully, despite having to go up two flights of stairs. They stopped in front of their doors and stood awkwardly for a moment, digging out their respective keys in silence. Jack opened his door and paused with his hand on the handle. Gabe caught the scent of dirt and fresh flowers and he took a deep breath, the smell filling his mind with images of the woods and giving him a sense of calm and peace.

Jack bit his lip before speaking. “Thanks for walking with me Gabe. Maybe we can, uh,” he shrugged, “walk to work together tomorrow? If you’re okay with that. I know you’re not a morning person, so if you’d rather be alone I get it.”

Gabe paused in flipping through his keys, speaking slowly as he thought about it. “I guess that would be… fine.” He pointed the key in his hand at Jack. “But only if you’re feeling well tomorrow. And only if we leave at  _ my _ time, not ass crack o’clock.”

Jack laughed and Gabe felt lighter than he had all week. “Alright, deal. See you tomorrow, Gabe.”

He disappeared into his apartment and Gabe was left staring at his closed door, not quite processing what just happened. “...You, too, Jack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to keep this shorter but I went back and added more to the scenes so it would actually make sense. Dunno if any of the future chapters will be as long as this but this whole fic is just ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so weird to have the end in sight. So far the plot is fitting into five chapters but I might make it six just to have a kind of epilogue to wrap it all up.

“If you knock on my door one more time I’m going to bite your head off and feed it to the squirrels,” Gabe growled at his closed door. A muffled snicker came from the other side.

Groaning, Gabe stretched from where he fell asleep face down on his bed, then half rolled onto the floor. He peeled himself off the ground and stumbled out to the living room. Unfortunately he banged his shin right into the coffee table and cursed loudly. Gabe bared his fangs at the table and flipped it off.

At least it woke him up a little. He ran his hands over his ears and cursed again when he felt fur. Gabe snatched a beanie from the accursed table and shoved it on his head. He tugged at his very slept in shirt and didn’t feel a drool spot, so he had that going for him at least. Feeling presentable enough Gabe finally unlocked his door and opened it to Jack’s cheery disposition.

“Morning sunshine,” Jack greeted. He raised a brow as he surveyed Gabe’s appearance- bags under his tired eyes, wild beard, disheveled band t-shirt, and black boxers. At the last part Jack’s gaze immediately snapped back up to Gabe’s face.

“Shut up. Come in, boyscout. Sit your happy ass down,” Gabe grumbled out as he stepped aside. Jack was of course already put together. His blonde hair was neatly combed and styled, his skin looked fresh and awake, hell he even had a white polo tucked into khakis. They didn’t even have a dress code! Gabe was convinced Jack must be some sort of otherworldly being to be so glossy and new every morning.

Jack entered and glanced around the apartment while Gabe shut the door behind him and shuffled off to the kitchen. His apartment wasn’t the neatest, especially when the full moon came around and he was too busy feeling like his skin was crawling to be bothered with putting clothes or wrappers away. There was a nest of blankets and hoodies on the couch, a couple of empty glasses, what spare space there was on the table full of junk mail and sketchbooks, not to mention the plethora of socks that marked the path from the door to the couch to his bedroom.

“Uh. Where am I supposed to sit?” Jack asked, not sure how to phrase it politely.

“Anywhere. Clothes don’t bite,” Gabe called back. He opened the fridge to see what he could try for breakfast today. There was some half-cooked chicken tenders from last night. He shrugged and pulled one out to take a whiff. His stomach growled so Gabe popped it in his mouth and headed back into the living room.

His apartment was relatively small, all rooms connecting to a large living room. The kitchen was newly remodeled when he moved in though and it wasn’t like he needed a dining area anyway, so it worked. Gabe moved to the nest on the couch where Jack was precariously perched, staring at him. The blonde was rigid, his hand clamped together between his knees. He was clearly unsure of himself in this new environment. Gabe paid him no mind, however, instead gnawing on the chicken tender as he plucked a hoodie from the pile. He inspected it for stains and upon finding none swung it over his shoulder. He then shuffled towards his room and paused in the doorway to grab the meat out of his mouth. When he turned his head to look at Jack the blonde jumped but didn’t look away.

“Gonna be maybe five minutes,” Gabe said after swallowing his bite. “Make yourself comfortable.”

“R-right.” Jack made a show of scooting further onto the couch and leaning back into it. Satisfied, Gabe went into his room and shut the door most of the way. It never closed fully anymore thanks to an… incident when he tried staying home the night before a full moon and forgot to eat. The claw marks were easy to cover up but the busted frame wasn’t fixable on his budget.

“So,” Jack started, then cleared his throat. “So. Uh. Do you always get up this late?”

“No,” Gabe called, a little miffed they were apparently going to start conversation this early before his morning caffeine. Maybe he should just invest in a coffee pot. “I usually get up later.”

Jack laughed. “I even left my apartment later today just for you! How do you get ready in time for work?”

“I don’t have much of anything to do? I’m not gonna spend an unnecessary half hour of getting ready when I just gotta throw on clothes and get out the door.”

“What about breakfast?”

“You just saw my typical breakfast, Jack,” Gabe deadpanned.

Jack shook his head and rested his chin in his hand. “Leftovers is hardly breakfast, Gabe.”

“It does the job.” Gabe exited his room, now equipped with pants, boots, and a slightly fresher shirt.

“It was a piece of meat,” Jack said, a smirk tugging up one side of his mouth. “You didn’t have anything that gives you energy. You didn’t even get a drink to hydrate.”

“You sound like a health nut.”

“I’m only a little bit of one,” Jack insisted, and Gabe stuck his tongue out.

Still he was feeling a little self conscious under Jack’s scrutinous remarks, so he detoured to the bathroom to comb his hair and maybe brush away his morning breath. He rushed through both, eager to get his less-hairy-but-still-pointed ears back out of sight and to get Jack out of there. It wasn’t that he was embarrassed about his pig sty of an apartment; he had gotten over that sort of thing long ago. It was more like he didn’t want Jack to be hanging out alone, which was weird because he was just in the other room.

When he emerged Jack stood up and smiled approvingly. “Ready?”

“Yeah yeah, let me grab my keys.” The tired man shooed his guest, grabbing the key rings out of a wobbly-shaped ceramic bowl painted like a full moon.

“Oh, that’s a nice bowl.”

Gabe gently pushed Jack out of the door so he could close and lock it. “Thanks. My nephew made it for me as a gag gift.”

Jack furrowed his brow. “Why is it a gag gift?”

Whoops. “Ah it’s just a stupid family inside joke. Not worth explaining.”

Suspicion crossed Jack’s face but he dropped the subject. They made it to Starwatch Coffee without further slip ups, though Gabe did get Jack to do most of the talking by asking what his morning regimen was.

“No, no, Jack, stop,” Gabe said as he set up the water for the teas. “I can understand one face scrub, but I can’t let a _five step process_ stand.”

“It makes me feel fresh faced and clean,” Jack insisted.

“Then stick to just the shower!”

“What are you two going on about?”

The two jumped at Lena’s voice, having not noticed the ring of the door being opened. Lena giggled as she came in and took off her jacket.

“None of your business, chatter mouth,” Gabe growled.

Lena paused on her way to the back room and looked him over. She held a hand to his forehead and he jerked away.

“Who are you and what have you done with Gabe?” Lena asked.

Gabe raised an indignant eyebrow. “What?”

“The coffee isn’t even brewed yet and you’re talking! Seriously, are you not feeling well or something?”

Gabe lightly pushed her shoulder and grumbled “Oxton, shut up and get to work. Mind your own business.”

Lena giggled as she hopped away. “It must be serious if you’re calling me by my last name.”

It took nearly the whole shift for Lena to slowly stopped pestering Gabe about it. Near the end of the morning shift Gabe and Jack took a quick break in the back, both nursing their respective coffees.

“I think Lena’s finally dropped it,” Jack said, leaning over his latte. Gabe meanwhile was fully reclined, chair leaning back into the wall and legs propped up on the crossbar of the fold up plastic table.

“Thank god she has,” he agreed. “That girl gossips like she breathes air.”

Jack laughed. “To be fair, she comes here whenever she’s not in school. Of course she would want to talk to everyone.”

Gabe took a sip of his black coffee- no espresso this time, just sugar. “Yeah, well. Still.”

A nod. “Yeah.”

There was a moment of comfortable silence, broken only by the occasional sound of drinking. Jack looked off at nothing in particular, seemingly deep in thought, and Gabe left him to it. It was rare they had this much free time with lunch so close.

He took the opportunity to study Jack’s face. Usually Jack was the one staring at him, so why not? The blonde had a nice face; it was neatly squared and rigid like a statue but his wide mouth and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes when he smiled softened it up just the right amount. He held his bottom lip in his teeth, worrying at the inner corner of his mouth and drawing attention there. Gabe noticed he had a bit of a five o’clock shadow started and he couldn’t help but wonder what Jack would look like if he grew that out.

“Oh my gosh! You actually made it!” Lena shouted in the front room. Gabe flinched from the sudden noise and groaned while Jack jumped up, already on his way out of the door to see what was going on.

“Who is she yelling about now?” Gabe asked, clinging possessively to his nearly empty cup. He was enjoying his free time, dammit.

Jack stood in the doorway, one arm against the door, and tilted his head in confusion. “Uh. A... cowboy?”

Gabe’s heart picked up and he stood. A deep, hearty laugh confirmed his suspicions.

“Well, now, lookit you! Did you grow shorter since I saw you last?” came the southern drawl.

Gabe made his way to the door, cursing in Spanish. Jack raised an eyebrow as he let him pass. “Do you know this person? Are they going to be a problem or are they friendly?”

“Depends,” Gabe answered vaguely and stepped out to the counter.

“I am not shorter, you hairy brute!” Lena laughed, hitting the man’s shoulder as he set her down from their hug. The guy was tall, tan, and had hair _everywhere_. His little soul patch and sideburns were wild, bristly things and his rolled up flannel sleeves showed off arms that were practically carpets. A mess of brown hair tumbled down from his cowboy hat and he even had cowboy boots and a big buckle to top it off.

He turned his deep brown eyes to Gabe the moment he stepped up to the counter. Gabe crossed his arms. There was a tense second of silence between them before the man smiled wide and settled his hands on his hips.

“Uncle Gabe! How you been?”

“ _Sobrino_ ,” Gabe grunted. “What brings you to town?”

Jack shot a look at his back, then to Lena. “Uncle Gabe?” he quietly asked. Lena just giggled and nodded.

“Aw, come on now, _jefe_. We ain’t seen each other in over a year!” He took a step closer and Gabe glared at him.

“For good reason, brat. I like to be left alone.”

“Come on, Gabe, don’t be such a hard ass,” Lena piped up. “Jesse just messaged me today saying he’s gonna be in town for a few days. I thought you’d want to see him.”

Gabe could feel the bunching of his muscles like pulling on a rubber band. But he couldn’t snap, not here. Not now. A part of him knew it was mostly the moon, hyping up his wolf side and making him territorial. It didn’t help that he and Jesse had a history of butting heads around this time of the month, too. But he knew it was unfair to his nephew. Jesse was a werewolf who loved being around people. He made friends and family easily, so he didn’t get why Gabe didn’t want to be part of a big huge pack.

Sighing, Gabe scratched at his beard and leaned against the counter. “Fine. But you’re watching over him, Speedy. Don’t need you wrecking shop again.”

“Hey, that was an accident!” Jesse threw up his hands. “Plus it was mostly Genji’s fault. He asked me for a piggyback ride.”

Gabe lowered a withering glare at his nephew. “Genji wasn’t the one who sent somebody flying into a display shelf.”

“We have a display shelf?” Jack asked.

“ _Used_ to,” Gabe corrected.

Jesse sauntered up to the counter and tipped his hat at Jack. “Well now, I don’t believe I’ve met you before. You must be new. Name’s Jesse McCree.”

Jack gave an awkward wave from his spot in the doorway. “Jack Morrison. I started working mornings just a few months ago.”

Jesse smiled and was about to say something but Gabe cleared his throat and shot a warning glance to him.

“Don’t you have catching up to do?” he asked, nodding his head towards Lena who perked up.

Jesse pouted but backed down anyway. “Sure _jefe_. Catch you later, Jack.”

Watching the two teeter off to a table, already talking animatedly, Gabe felt satisfied enough to go back to the break room and bring his cup of coffee out. Looks like he’d need the espresso after all.

“So,” Jack started, staring off at the newcomer. “Was that the same nephew that gave you your key bowl?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah, that’s him.” Gabe squeezed past Jack and headed straight for the machines. “He moves around a lot, just like his mom, but sometimes he’ll come back in town.”

Jack came out of the doorway and set himself in front of the register. “You seemed… tense. Things not good between you two or something?” He straightened and held up a hand. “Not that it’s any of my business.”

“You’re right, it’s not,” Gabe snapped. He closed his eyes and took a calming breath. “Sorry. The two of us don’t always get along. I practically raised him when his parents died.”

“Oh, I’m-” Jack stopped, interrupted by Gabe’s hand. He gave a sympathetic look to Gabe anyway.

“It’s been years. It’s in the past. Anyway, I had to take care of him when he was a teenager. You know how teens are, though. Rebellious and moody and going through ‘changes’ and all that.” He winced, recalling when he had to help Jesse through his first few transformations. Puberty in a family of werewolves was the worst in Gabe’s opinion. “He packed up and left when he turned 18. We’ve had a… rocky relationship since then.”

Jack hummed, tapping his fingers on the counter as he looked away in thought. “Gimme a sec,” he said before disappearing into the break room.

Gabe simply shrugged and stirred his coffee. That was maybe a lot to dump on someone you only recently stopped thinking of as a complete weirdo, but Gabe was too high strung and stressed to care. Jack returned shortly with something clenched in his fist.

“I was going to give this to you at some point eventually- I mean, whenever I worked up the courage to- not that you’re scary or anything, I’m just- anyway. Please take it.” He held out his palm and revealed a white stone with grey veins, shaped like a straightened claw and held by a long, thin, gold chain.

“A necklace?” Gabe raised an eyebrow and looked back up at Jack who seemed to be feeling mildly uncomfortable.

“Yeah, I uh, made it for you a few weeks ago. It’s howlite. It helps to calm the mind and aid sleeping and stress relief.” Jack shrugged, still awkwardly holding the necklace out. “I wasn’t sure how you’d take it so I tried to make something that would match your style, too, but since you have that moon bowl and howlite is associated with the moon I figured it would be fine. Plus now seems like the perfect time with your nephew being here and all.”

Gabe nearly choked. Howlite? Shaped like a claw? Seriously? But there was no way Jack knew. Gabe was extra careful, and the only people who knew about his family’s secret were either on a very short list of close friends or dead.

“You mean like some sort of hippie crystal magic thing?” he said instead, covering up his momentary panic as a scoff. Regardless he hesitantly picked it up and turned it over in his hand. It didn’t seem to be dangerous or a warning sign. Jack could be oblivious sometimes, so maybe this was a weird coincidence. “I don’t believe in that sort of stuff, Jack.”

The blonde smiled. “It isn’t the crystal itself that gives it the power to do things, Gabe. Sometimes believing is enough for it to work.”

“That’s a pretty poetic way to say ‘placebo effect’,” Gabe mumbled, and Jack hit his shoulder.

“If you don’t want it I can take-”

“Too late,” Gabe interrupted. He quickly slipped it on over his neck and tucked it under his shirt, shivering as the cold metal hit his skin. He smiled and Jack practically beamed. “Now what am I supposed to get you, boyscout?”

“Oh, no, you don’t have to get me anything,” Jack insisted. “This was just a spur of the moment type thing.”

Gabe leaned forward, one corner of his mouth pulling up higher. “How can it be spur of the moment when you put so much thought into it?”

“I, uh…” Jack blushed and spun around to fiddle with the register, decidedly not looking anywhere in Gabe’s direction. “Just don’t worry about it.”

Gabe chuckled and turned back to work.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew up a god damn [floor plan of their apartments](https://tinyurl.com/y72h7alf) at six in the morning just to get Jack's apartment description right. But hey, we get to see what Jack is! Also I'm preemptively sorry! :D

“Jack would probably throw a hissy fit,” Gabe mumbled to himself as he set about tossing things into piles. Piles were good. Piles he could manage individually.

For the first time in a long while Gabe started cleaning his bedroom. He hadn’t found the energy or patience to do it in months, aside from occasionally grabbing a handful of dirty clothes and trudging all the way down to the laundry room. But the itch beneath his skin of fur just waiting to burst forth had calmed somewhat. His temper after getting off of work had been surprisingly more under his control than he expected it to be.

Gabe hesitated to say it was because of the rock Jack gave him; it was more likely Jack’s effort to bring his mood up after Jesse left. He had made a huge effort to change the tense and awkward atmosphere and it seemed to have worked. The guy even walked with him back home, and Gabe had found he had enough pent up energy he couldn’t take his usual after work nap and spent the whole day making his typically last minute preparations for the full moon tomorrow.

With Jack’s smiling face and cheerful jabs in mind Gabe had walked into his room expecting a good night’s sleep only to cringe as he finally took in the state his depression cave was in. Cans and bottles everywhere, clothes scattered on every surface, two overturned lamps- one of which had a broken bulb with the glass still laying around it. It was ten times worse than his living room, and beyond the point where he’d let people inside.

However, seeing that his clothes pile alone was starting to take up half the bed Gabe’s motivation slowly crumbled. He hadn’t even gotten a trash bag for all the empty food containers and crumpled pieces of paper and- was that a god damn _bone_ by his closet door?

Gabe plopped on his bed, leaning against the clothes, and fiddled with the tooth-shaped necklace. He rubbed absent mindedly at the inner curve with his thumb. Jack probably spent a lot of time carving it if it was so smooth. Or did he buy it like that? Gabe shook his head. Jack was definitely the type of person to carve it himself.

Gabe bit his lip and grabbed his phone. He opened his music app and turned the volume all the way up before setting it on a clear spot on his bed and standing up. If Jack the adorable weirdo could carve a goddamn rock for him then he could carve a path in his bedroom. Repressing the implications of that train of thought Gabe threw himself into taking care of at least the trash in his room. First things first, that broken light bulb.

About an hour and a half later Gabe collapsed back on his bed, worn but satisfied. After he had filled an entire trash bag he was still in the mood to keep going, so he cleared up the bottles and cans. After that he stuffed what he absolutely knew was dirty into his long buried laundry basket and another trash bag, to be taken care of at a later date. Things had snowballed and he’d cleaned nearly his whole room.

Gabe grabbed his phone and checked the time. It was nearly a quarter past 10. Considering his skipped nap he was surprised he hadn’t given up earlier. He counted the hours backwards in his head and groaned. He’d get maybe six hours of sleep if he was lucky, which he rarely was. He sighed and stopped the music. He still had to eat to stave off the urge to transform since he didn’t want to go out tonight, plus change out of his clothes and maybe take a shower. He could save that for the morning like Jack but then he’d have to wake up earlier-

His thoughts were interrupted with a thud and a curse. He cocked his head, turning his ear to figure out which wall the sound had come from. It wasn’t uncommon to hear his neighbors at all hours, especially with his enhanced hearing. Gabe was ready to write off the sound, hearing only the steady rush of someone running water, before he heard another noise that had him jolting upright.

It was a sob.

Gabe strained his hearing, holding his breath, and another one came. Curious and alert the werewolf stood up and pressed his ear against the far wall of his room, the one adjacent to his neighbor. He heard the soft whoosh of a shower, the distinctive slap of water on tub versus water on skin, and a low whine before another sob was released.

Brow furrowing, Gabe backed up and began tracing his finger in the air the layout of his apartment. With a slow dawning dread he realized the sobs were coming from Jack’s side. Fumbling fingers brought up his phone and he typed out a short text:

_U ok Jack?_

He hit send and waited. There was a muffled ping, further away from his wall but still in the same room. Nothing changed. Shakily he sent out another one.

_Jack answer me_

Another sob covered the ping of the phone. Gabe let out a frustrated growl and ran a hand over his furred ears. He jammed a beanie on his head and typed up a few short texts, sending them without pause as he started walking out of his room.

_I can hear u_

_Talk to me_

_Whats wrong_

_U dont have to tell me everything_

_Shit can i come over_

_Jack_

_Jack_

_Jack_

_Let me in jack_

_I’m outside your door_

_Pls let me in_

_Jack_

_Jack the old lady from 304 saw me standing outside ur door_

_She probably thinks im a creep_

_She already hates me Jack_

_Shes staring at me from her door pls let me in before she calls the cops_

Just as Gabe hit send he heard a click from the door in front of him. The sound brought his attention fully back to caution mode. He slipped his phone in the pocket of his sweats and reached for the handle. Gabe paused, hand hovering over the knob. Was he really ready for whatever emotional baggage was about to be dumped on him? He was already doing a terrible job managing his own. Just because Jack was nice didn’t mean he owed him anything.

Gabe closed his eyes and grabbed the handle. Jack had been nothing but friendly to him, even if often times it was unwelcomed. Hell, he was the first ‘friend’ Gabe had invited into his home, his territory, for a good while, and he had done it without even considering them close. The least he could do was extend the favor and be a shoulder to cry on.

The inside of Jack’s apartment was a lot more than the brief taste he had gotten before. Everything was pretty much the exact opposite of his own apartment, even down to being neat and clean yet somehow also homey. To his right was a desk covered in colorful papers, office supplies, and organization drawers.Throughout the room were pots of varying sizes covering a lot of floor and table space, filled to the brim with a wide selection of plants and flowers. Across from the door was a bookshelf with a small wooden display that held a collection of rocks and gems. Candles and books decorated every side table, and four white candles were placed atop a round glass coffee table. An incense holder on the coffee table held the last nub of some sweet, earthy scent that Gabe didn’t know the name of.

In front of the coffee table was a worn light blue armchair, and across from that was a big matching couch. Throw pillows stitched with stars and strange symbols framed a blanket draped over the back of the couch that depicted the night sky. Wrapped in a blanket and curled up on the couch was Jack, his legs drawn up and his face buried in his knees. His wet hair stood up in spikes and dripped onto his legs.

Gabe stepped inside, shutting the door behind him, and quickly made his way over to the couch. He paused and stood there a moment. He flexed his hands, unsure of what to do. Jack turned his head ever so slightly, peering at him with one red rimmed eye, and Gabe sat down beside him.

“I uh- We have very thin walls and I just heard you crying in the shower and I kinda reacted on instinct. Are you okay?”

Jack scrunched up his brows and shoved his face back in his knees. He was silent for a moment and Gabe heard him take a few shaky breaths. He was about to assure Jack he didn’t have to tell him if he didn’t want to before the blonde spoke.

“I’m sorry you heard that. You didn’t have to come over.”

“Yeah, well.” Gabe lightly pushed at his shoulder. “I’m not all bite. You probably would’ve done the same.”

A soft laugh escaped from Jack. “Probably. I appreciate it, Gabe. You really don’t need to sit here listening to my problems, though.”

“I don’t have any other plans for my night,” he said as he leaned back into the couch, crossing his arms behind his head. “C’mon. Lay it on me.”

Jack peered out at him again and hid his face almost right away. “Uh. No. It’s stupid and weird. I just wanna sit here.”

“You sure? Because I can take weird. Trust me, whatever it is, I can handle it. You saw that my nephew is a god damn cowboy, right?”

Another laugh and Jack slowly uncurled and leaned back into the couch, his head rising into view. He tapped his fingers and stuck out his bottom lip in that way he did when he was concentrating. Finally Jack rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Okay, but don’t- don’t make fun of me or anything, alright? And don’t tell other people. I get enough crap from the people who know; I don’t need that spreading.”

Gabe lowered his arms and nodded. “Promise.”

“Good, cool.” Jack sighed shakily and started fiddling with the ends of his blanket. He stared intensely at it as he gathered his words. In the pause Gabe noticed Jack was only wearing grey sweats underneath the blanket. He decided it was best to stare at the blanket as well instead of oogle Jack while he was baring his soul, though his quick glimpse told him Jack was just as well sculpted as he appeared to be, if not more so.

“I really don’t know how to put this without coming off as crazy so I’ll just say it outright,” Jack started. “I’m a witch.”

Gabe froze, his breath catching in his lungs. “Oh.”

Jack’s face contorted into frustrated anger. “I know, I know, it sounds dumb. Yes, by the way, that is the right term even if I’m a guy. I come from a family of witches and we have magic. Well, I mean, I’m shit at the magic part, but I’m still a witch.”

Gabe nodded his head slowly. That certainly… explained a few things. First and foremost the decor.

“Mostly I do little charms and potions. Like your necklace- I put a calming spell on that.” Jack looked over at Gabe, suddenly worried. “Don’t worry, it doesn’t force you to be calm all the time or anything. It just makes it easier to find that emotion and hang onto it.”

Gabe didn’t respond, just leaned forward and rested his chin on his hand.

“...You’re skeptical, aren’t you?” Jack pulled the blanket tighter around himself like a protective barrier. “Most people usually are. It’s not something I can really prove either. Like I said, I don’t have the strongest magic. I’m actually the weakest one in my family in terms of practical power. The only thing I’m good at is clairvoyance.”

Jack shrugged and looked down at his knees as if debating whether or not to hide his head there again.

“So you’re some sort of urban witch that can see the future?” Gabe asked, surprising Jack into whiplash. Jack rubbed the back of his neck and nodded.

“More or less, yeah.”

“Huh,” Gabe said. There was admittedly a part of him that doubted this- after all, anybody could decorate their apartment in candles and plants and gems and claim to be a witch. But there was another part of him that just accepted it. It made a strange kind of sense. He hadn’t met many witches before, only two in fact, from weird family reunions and friends of friends. Both of them were much more meddling than Jack, however. Hell, one of them threatened to turn him into her undead slave just because he said he didn’t like her casserole and the other tried poisoning him to “test werewolf resilience.” Why he still kept in contact (even vaguely) he didn’t know.

“Yeah. ‘Huh.’” Jack tilted his head curiously at Gabe. “You’re taking this strangely well.”

Gabe, becoming aware of his position in this, smiled at Jack reassuringly. The guy was sharing a huge thing after all, and here he was spacing out in reaction. “I told you, not much weirds me out anymore. Besides, of course you’d be magic. How else do you explain being a beaming ray of sunshine every morning?”

Jack frowned and his cheeks turned red, but he attacked Gabe with a lazy knee to the face. “I’m serious, Gabe!”

Gabe laughed and pushed his knee away. “I know, sorry. So, I get that you’re a magic boyscout, but what was it that made you upset?”

The frown turned more serious and Jack hunched his shoulders under his soft blanket. “I… had a vision. A pretty bad one.”

Sitting more upright Gabe turned attentively towards Jack, who furrowed his brow and rubbed at it with his hand.

“I don’t… I normally have visions of bad things anyway. Sometimes they’re neutral, like what’s going to happen at work or what the weather will be. But three out of five times it’s of something bad happening, and usually to someone I don’t know.”

As Jack sighed Gabe placed a hand on his knee. He wasn’t sure what to say to that; he was never great at comforting words. But Jack seemed content with the physical touch because he continued.

“I have the visions from the point of view of whoever the thing is happening to, but it’s never from my point of view or of myself. It can be… pretty difficult to go through someone else’s experience like that,” Jack said, forcing himself to get out the words. “Normally, if I have the vision at home, I take a shower to calm down afterwards. But this time I couldn’t calm down.”

Jack’s voice wavered and his eyes started to glisten. Without a second thought Gabe leaned back into the couch and wrapped his arm around Jack, pulling him close. His wet hair pressed to Gabe’s beard but he ignored it and rubbed his thumb in soothing circles. He let Jack draw his knees up close again, though he didn’t bury his face there. Instead he leaned his head into Gabe and shivered as he took a few long breaths.

“Tell me about it,” he murmured. “Let it out.”

The quivering mass under his arm shook his head. “I can’t, it was too- it was someone I _know_ , Gabe.”

He squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry you went through that. Is there, I dunno, anything that can be done about it? Can your visions be changed?”

Jack shrugged. “They always end up coming true one way or another,” he answered in defeat.

Frowning and not knowing how to handle it, Gabe rested his forehead against the top of Jack’s head and sighed. “Who was it? Can you tell me that at least?”

Jack seemed to lock up, his joints frozen in place while another shiver passed through him. The seconds ticked by then he pulled away to look at Gabe in the eyes. Tears were freely running down his cheeks now.

“It was you, Gabe. I saw you die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you all thought this would be a nice and fluffy story, huh?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bumped up the chapter limit to 7 'cuz I decided I wanna do an epilogue. I feel like this story is a lot of explaining things (partly due to working on this usually only when I'm piss tired) and not enough feels and interactions so I wanna add more of that in the epilogue.

Gabe shook his head in disbelief, as crooked smile on his face. “What? Jack, that’s a bad joke.”

“It’s not a joke!” Jack shouted. His hands clenched. “I never joke about my visions.”

“How do you know it was even me?”

“I…” Jack looked at the floor. “I saw the necklace I gave you.”

Gabe blew air past his lips and ran a hand over his mustache. It felt like his blood was retreating from his veins, leaving him cold, yet he could feel sweat forming on his skin. He was dubious about the visions and fate and all that, particularly because he had never met a psychic before, but if it was really true then... “Okay. What exactly was your vision?”

Jack’s brow furrowed. He wiped the tears from his cheeks and glanced at Gabe from the side. “I… don’t know if that’s a good idea…”

“Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems,” Gabe offered. Jack still seemed unswayed.

“You know you can’t change it. Knowing would only make it worse.”

“I think it would be nice to at least see it coming.” Gabe forced himself to relax his shoulders and offer a casual shrug.

Jack bit his lip for a moment before pinching the bridge of his nose. “This is a bad idea.”

Gabe’s expression softened into a sympathetic smile. He rested his hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze through the blanket. “Please?”

There was a mumbled curse and suddenly Jack stood up. “Fine. I need something first, though.”

Gabe held up his hands and let Jack go. He swiftly walked to the kitchen, blanket left on the couch. His bare back disappeared just as quick as Gabe managed to see it. That was fine, though. He was too on edge about the whole situation to admire it. Hopefully he’d get to do so when he wasn’t being told he was going to die.

If he lived that long.

The fridge opened and closed, and glass clinked against the counter. “Do you want anything? Juice, water, beer, wine?”

Gabe’s eyebrows raised at beer; he didn’t take the boyscout to be a drinker, particularly of beer. Then again Gabe himself tended to avoid alcohol. Mainly because it would take a lot to get past his werewolf metabolism to even get buzzed, but also because he was picky. “No thanks, I’m good.”

There was a few more noises and Jack emerged with a glass of iced tea in one hand and a small, clear flask with a purplish liquid in the other. Gabe nodded at it. “What’s that?”

“It’s a potion,” Jack answered as he sat down and held it up. He uncorked the top and knocked it back, cringing and sticking his tongue out when it was all gone. Quickly Jack took a huge sip of his tea. “Homebrew. I make it to suppress my visions.”

“You can do that?” Gabe tilted his head and took a subtle whiff. The flask had a slightly fruity yet acrid smell that made him wrinkle his nose. God, how did Jack stand taking something that nasty?

The blonde nodded and licked his lips, still pulling a face as he tasted remnants of the potion. “Yeah, it’s about the only useful magic skill I have.”

“But why? Do you get them that often?”

“Nah, I only get them like a couple times a month. But they’re kinda unpredictable and I uh…” Jack rubbed the back of this neck, fingers getting wet from his hair which he absently rubbed on his sweats. “I’ve been told it looks like I’m having a seizure when I get a vision. White eyes, collapsed on the floor shaking, the whole nine yards.”

Gabe’s brows raised. “Shit.”

“Yeah. I don’t really want that happening at work or when I’m out, not when I can’t get to a shower afterwards. So I made this potion to basically warn me I’m gonna have a vision and buy me time to get home. It can’t stop them completely, but it makes me sick as a dog when one’s coming.”

The gears turned in Gabe’s head. “So… all those times you called out of work...”

Jack nodded. “Visions. Although once I did actually have a cold.”

Gabe scratched his beard. “You had one that day I ran into you at the grocery store?”

“Went right home from work and had a terrible time watching from the eyes of some poor girl getting mugged in a parking lot,” Jack confirmed. “Had to grab stuff for more potions afterwards.”

As Jack drank some more tea Gabe’s foot started tapping. There were signs everywhere then. How the hell had he never caught on? Not to mention Jack lived alone. He’d been dealing with this for who knows how long without anyone even knowing. He had to go through all these terrible experiences and came to work every day with a disposition so sunny it blinded him, yet here Gabe was snapping at everyone because he ran around on all fours some nights out of the month.

Finally Jack set the glass down and shifted around on the couch so his back was against the arm. He crossed his legs, settled his hands on his lap, and closed his eyes before taking a deep, centering breath.

“My vision with you was at night,” he started. Gabe immediately sat up straight and gave Jack his full attention. “There was a lot of movement. I didn’t quite get everything- sometimes they’re like that, more sensations than seeing- but I got the feeling something was following me. Something fast. Something is ahead, too. It’s like a race but with no end. There were branches or leaves or something hitting me in the face as I, well, glided along. It wasn’t quite running, more like being a river flowing over the ground. It was amazing, and so fast, but I wasn’t fast enough.”

Gabe’s heart raced. He knew that feeling. It was one of the reasons he gave in days before a full moon.

“Then something smacked into me.” Jack gestured with his hand, waving it loosely in the air. “A lot of things happened at once; being hit, different smells, and a deep rumbling. Suddenly I see this large furry thing, looks like a giant dog or a bear, I couldn’t tell. It was just a brief flash. Next thing I know I’m falling. I see the necklace fly in front of my face. Then there’s a lot of pain... and the vision ends there.”

It felt as if his fur was bristling under his skin. Did this mean… Jesse...? Oh god, and if Jack saw… But it didn’t seem like he figured it out.

“I don’t know how or why you’re getting hurt,” Jack continued, drawing Gabe out of his swirling thoughts. His voice was wavering again. “But it’s going to happen. And there’s nothing either of us can do about it.”

Gabe is tugging on his arm before the first tear can escape. Jack let himself be pulled forward and Gabe just held him, feeling the crying man try to calm his shaky breaths before he can outright sob. He whispered sweet nothings to help ease his mind, half of them in Spanish. Part of him was elsewhere, though, contemplating telling Jack his big secret. The witch did reveal his, after all, and was even kind enough to tell him the vision about Gabe. Plus there was no definite that Gabe would die- a werewolf survives most things, and from the way Jack told the story there was no clear cut death for sure, just a lot of pain. However Gabe had limited control of his wolf side, particularly during the full moon, so he wouldn’t be able to exactly act on this information regardless. Jack was clearly being vulnerable right now and the last thing Gabe wanted was to scare Jack more than he already was.

“What does that mean?”

Gabe started, not realizing Jack had moved to practically sit in his lap and lean his head against his shoulder. “What does what mean?”

Jack yawned. “Lindo. You keep repeating that word.”

“O-oh,” Gabe sputtered, flush rising to his face and a knot rising in his stomach. “I don’t mean it in a rude way or anything.”

“Yeah but what does it mean?”

“It means, uh.” He cleared his throat. Did he dare incriminate himself like this? “Means cute.”

Jack snorted and lightly hit Gabe’s chest. “Bullshit.”

“I take it back, you’re not cute at all.” Gabe pinched Jack’s arm, causing him to squirm away. They laughed, Jack clearly tired but amused. A warm smile made it’s way to Gabe’s face and he felt that knot in his stomach tighten. It would be nice to be this casual with Jack more often, he thinks. His morning at work had become a little more bearable since Jack walked with him. He wasn’t as weird and full of himself as Gabe had thought-

Pain radiated from his stomach in a sudden spike, making him wince. The uncomfortable feeling beneath his skin from before became an irritating itch, begging him to rip through his skin to satisfy it. Gabe cursed as he realized- he had forgotten to eat in his rush to sooth Jack.

The man in question sat up sleepily. “What’s up?”

Gabe’s face pinched together as the pain spread to the bottom of his rib cage like bad heartburn. He clasped his arms around himself and bounced his leg, forcing himself to look at Jack. “Hey, uh, this is gonna seem weird, but do you have any meat?”

Jack looked at him suspiciously. “Meat? What do you-”

“Just like, any meat. Beef, chicken, hell even bacon.”

“I don’t know.” Jack tilted his head. “I think I have some bacon in the freezer, but what do you need meat for?”

Gabe growled and pushed Jack’s legs off of his lap. He ignored the offended and slightly hurt ‘hey!’ from Jack and rushed to the door. He didn’t have time to play nice, let alone wait for something to thaw.

“Where are you going?”

Jack’s call fell on deaf ears as Gabe bolted back into his apartment. He quickly made his way to the fridge and threw open the door, letting it smack noisily against the wall. He crouched down and grabbed a saran-wrapped plate of ground beef which he immediately tore apart. He mumbled a ‘fuck it’ before grabbing a handful of the cold slop and shoveling it into his mouth.

Gabe made it halfway through the plate of raw meat before he realized there was a presence behind him. His shoulders hunched, cursing his inattention, and he slowly turned. Jack stood there just inside his apartment, one hand on the door, frozen in place. He looked awfully pale and awfully horrified.

Gabe swallowed down his mouthful. “It’s, uh, not what it looks like?”

Jack just blinked. Gabe glanced down at his food and up to his reflection in the stove in the counter beside him. There he was, hunched over and devouring a plate of bloody meat with his bare hands. His eyes had gone golden and feral, teeth sharpened and claws poking free. He winced and glanced back up at Jack.

“Okay, I guess it is what it looks like. I was going to tell you, but- shit, man, I forgot I didn’t eat anything and things just happened, I- Jack please don’t go.”

Jack paused in his backing up but shook his head. He was not having what he was seeing.

Gabe went to rub the blood and flecks of ground meat from his face with the back of his sleeve, thought better of it, and stood up to grab a paper towel. He placed his plate on the counter and wiped his mouth while toeing the fridge- full of similar plates of meat of all varieties as well as some actual cooked food and normal things- closed. Jack waited for him to finish but didn’t say a word or move any closer. Gabe sighed.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. It just has a tendency to never work out when I let people in,” he said remorsefully. He grabbed his beanie and took it off, revealing his mostly transformed ears. “Usually people don’t believe me, and when I show them they run away in fear, or try to kill me. Almost all of them call me a monster or a dangerous beast or think I’m gonna eat them. Not often there’s a middle ground when someone finds out you’re a werewolf, ya know?”

Jack’s jaw tightened and he looked down.

Gabe shuffled over to the sink and washed his hands. “Please sit, Jack. Or at least close the door? I’m not gonna attack you or anything, but I do value my privacy, especially about this.”

The witch numbly closed the door and inched closer to the island counter between them, but didn’t sit at one of the stools. He didn’t touch anything, keeping his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Thanks,” Gabe mumbled. He shut off the water and flicked his hands into the sink. He still had claws and he wasn’t ready to get those tangled in his drying towel so instead he shook them as he moved to a drawer where he pulled out a fork.

“So. I heard you out. Anything you wanna ask me, magic boyscout?” he asked with false casualness as he sat down in front of his plate.

Jack pulled a face. “You’re seriously still going to eat that?”

Gabe chewed a forkful before giving him a look that said ‘really?’ “Of course. I might have calmed down, but I still need to eat.”

“But why?”

Gabe pushed around the ground beef, wondering what to say that wouldn’t make Jack hate him. He couldn’t come up with anything. Well, Jack had been honest and open with him, so might as well return the favor.

“It’s so I don’t turn.” Jack, to his credit, didn’t back away at that, so Gabe continued. “If I don’t want to turn, I eat a bunch of raw meat to make it easier to control the wolf side.”

Jack leaned on the counter, both fascinated and disgusted. “You don’t have any control of it?”

“You never met a werewolf before, have you?” Gabe deadpanned before taking another huge mouthful.

“No. Have you met a witch before?” Jack asked with a hint of smugness.

“Yes, actually. Two.” Gabe took a small delight in that smirk falling into surprise. “But there are tons of different witches; you never know what you’re dealing with when it comes to you guys. Werecreatures, though, not much variance there, even among different species.”

Jack hummed. Still, he seemed less horrified as Gabe talked, so maybe he wouldn’t run to the nearest hunter or say he never wanted to see him again.

“It’s not bloodlust or anything,” he said, drawing Jack’s attention. “The full moon makes the wolf side antsy for like a week. I gotta satisfy the beast somehow so the fur stays under the skin. Easiest way I found is a shit ton of meat. Second easiest is to drive to the nearest forest that doesn’t get campers and wolf out all night.”

Jack chuckled. “Is that why you’re not a morning person?”

Gabe’s eyes went wide in genuine surprise then he burst out laughing. He dropped his fork to push the heel of his palms into his eyes as he felt the tension and mistrust he carried with him for years ease up, just a little. It was rare he got moments like this and he had to rest his head on the table just to take it all in.

“You,” Gabe said, taking a breath between laughs, “are either the dumbest or the weirdest person I have ever met, Jack Morrison.”

He received a wide smile in return, one that crinkled the corners of Jack’s beautiful blue eyes. “At least I’m cute.”

Gabe grinned. “That’s about the only thing you got going for you,” he teased.

Jack laughed and stepped forward, reaching over the counter to waggle the end of Gabe’s furry ear. “Aw, c’mon, I’m not the only one! These ears make you kind of cute.” The ear twitched and fwapped Jack’s fingers. “But only a little. You’re too grouchy to be full-on cute.”

“Shut up, boyscout,” Gabe chuckled, showing off a pointed canine. He finished off the last of his meat and dumped the plate in his sink. He walked over to Jack on the other side of the counter and leaned against it. His mouth was pulled into a serious line as he met Jack’s eyes. “You don’t have to worry about your vision, Jack. I’m made of tougher stuff. It takes a lot more than a fall to kill a werewolf.”

Jack frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. “Gabe, I-”

He held up a hand. “Shush. No arguments. Have a little faith in me, huh?”

There was a moment’s pause as Jack considered it, crossing his arms and sticking out his lower lip. Eventually he sighed and nodded. “I should be getting to bed. We have work tomorrow.”

Gabe groaned. “Don’t remind me. I don’t know how I’m gonna sleep after all this excitement.”

“Speak for yourself. I’m tuckered out.” As if to make his point Jack yawned and stretched, which reminded Gabe very suddenly that he still wasn’t wearing a shirt. He looked away, ears pulled back.

“I could give you a sleeping potion,” Jack offered. “Already got a couple brewed. I don’t know how well it’ll work on werewolf biology but it should help.”

Gabe scratched his beard, unsure. It would be nice to get a good night’s sleep, especially the night before the full moon. “...As long as I don’t sleep through work.”

Jack shrugged and started walking back to his apartment, Gabe following close behind. “Shouldn’t knock you out that long. And if you do, then I’ll wake you up.”

Gabe snorted as he closed his front door. “How do you plan on doing that? Banging on the wall? I’m not _that_ light of a sleeper.”

Jack paused part way through his own door and grinned over his shoulder at his neighbor. “Guess you’ll have to sleep over tonight, then.”

Gabe stepped back, eyes wide and hands up. “Uuhhh… I couldn’t- that’s just- Really? Even after seeing the whole meat thing?”

Jack laughed. “Don’t worry about it. I could use the company.”

He was skeptical, but Gabe locked his door nonetheless. The two then retreated into Jack’s apartment for the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double whammy to finish this off! Plus Chapter 6 is really god damn long.  
> It's not often I manage to finish a multi-chapter fic so this is a very proud achievement for me. Thank you all for going through this with me and reading it. Even if I didn't respond, trust me, I have been reading every comment and I enjoy seeing all of your responses! Also, to @storylord4242, thank you for being patient with me. Please don't kill me for this chapter. Happy birthday, holidays, and new year!

The next morning Lena came into work late as usual, though with a little less pep and a little more bags under her eyes.

“You look tired as hell,” Jack commented as she entered the back room, giving her a worried look. “Did you sleep last night?”

Lena yawned in response, pulling her hat lazily off her head and depositing it in the cubby. “First I had an essay to write, then a reflection, _then_ I had to study for my physics final- which by the way, is one of three, can you believe that?”

Jack shook his head. “The audacity.”

“Exactly.” She collapsed dramatically against the wall, hanging her head. “I’m plum tired after all that.”

“Well at least exams will be over soon, right? Then you can sleep through winter break.” As he got up, cup of tea in hand, Jack yawned. “Besides, I know you’ll do fine.”

Lena looked suspiciously at him, standing up to grab her apron and put it on. “What about you? Did you pull an all-nighter too?”

Jack turned away, embarrassed. “Ah, no. I just happened to go to bed late is all.”

“Oh? What happened? Are you not feeling well?”

“I’m fine.” He shook his head before downing the rest of his tea. “Nothing really… important happened. I just lost track of time.” He threw out the disposable cup and went back to the front, Lena not far behind.

Gabe was at the counter, handing a bag of croissants to a grateful elderly woman. He cocked his head at the conversation. Meanwhile Jack busied himself organizing the cleaning supplies and boxes of napkins in the cupboards beneath the coffee machines.

“I find that hard to believe,” Lena scoffed. She shuffled around Gabe to grab a cloth and a silver marker from under the register and pointed the business end of it at the back of his blonde head. “You being on routine and awake every morning is one of the few constants I have in my life, Jack! Gabe already messed me up when he started talking before being caffeinated, I can’t have you taking this from me, too.”

Gabe raised an eyebrow. “Since when was whether or not we got any sleep so important to you?”

“Since you put me on morning duty,” Lena replied. She walked out to one of the tables and sat down, dragging a small black sign that stood on top of the pastry case with her. There was only one patron in the store, and they were too busy typing away at their laptop with headphones in their ears to notice the employee drama.

“You volunteered for the shift yourself,” Gabe pointed out, crossing his arms.

“That’s because it’s the only time that fit in my schedule. Plus you two are easier to work with than the other managers. Reinhardt is nice, but he makes messes all the time.” She yawned again and paused in her updating of the board to rub at her eye with the back of her wrist. “We’re getting off topic here, loves. This is about guessing what kept Jack up so late and roasting him about it.”

“Hm?” Jack popped his head above the counter, confused. The sight had Gabe hiding a snort behind his hand. “What about me? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”

Lena tsked. “Another bad sign. Did you stay up too late watching scary movies?”

Jack frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. “No.”

“Have some bad milk or something with dinner?”

“Nope.”

“Go on a secret undercover mission to overthrow corrupt robots that want to destroy humanity?”

Jack rolled his eyes and chuckled, going back to his work. “Not in a million years.”

Lena tapped her chin with the marker. “Hmm. Forget to take your dog out for a walk?”

“I don’t own a dog,” Jack responded from beneath the counter. He peered at Gabriel briefly. “My neighbor does, though. It snores like no tomorrow.”

Gabe flicked the back of Jack’s head and began making himself another cup of coffee- only his third so far. He was doing good, all things considered.

“Oh? Was it the snoring dog that kept you up, then?” Lena asked.

Jack shrugged despite her not being able to see him. “Probably. It was particularly _noisy_ last night.”

“Did you tell your neighbor about it?”

“I tried, but he sleeps like a brick. Not even the apocalypse could wake him up once he goes to sleep.”

“Oh please, Jack, you’re no sleeping beauty either,” Gabe grumbled. “ _Your_ snoring kept me up a good hour.”

Simultaneously Gabe saw Jack’s ears turn red and he heard dangerous quiet from Lena’s direction.

“Shoot, I’m sorry if I kept you up, Gabe. I didn’t realize-”

“You two _slept_ together!?” Lena slapped down the board, leaning forward with her mouth wide open. She pointed accusingly at the top of Jack’s head. “ _That’s_ why you’re tired! Oh my god! Oh my god!”

Jack shot up, his hands already waving. “No! Lena! It’s not like that! I- we-”

The Brit cackled. Her feet came off the floor and she tapped her heels excitedly on the tiles. “I knew it! I knew you two had the hots for each other! It’s about bloody time!”

“I, oh gosh, no, we didn’t _do_ anything, I-”

Jack’s face was absolutely aflame as he sputtered. He looked ready to dissolve into a puddle of embarrassment. Against his better nature Gabe was tempted to see if the witch actually could melt. After all, he didn’t consider if Jack even thought about him that way, so better to shove his own embarrassment off on the hapless man.

“Oh, c’mon, boyscout,” he interrupted with a grin. “No need to be shy. Your bed was comfy as hell.”

Lena nearly lost it. She gripped her sides, wheezing with each inhale as her laughter shook her body. Suddenly she jumped up and fanned her face with one hand, pulling her phone out of her pants pocket with the other. “Everyone is going to love this! We need to update the betting pools. Whew! I need to cool off.”

Without further explanation the woman zipped out the front door, phone already being put to her ear. She began pacing animatedly out front. Her excited chatter was muffled by the bay window but it was unmistakable what she was talking about.

“Betting pools?” Gabe grumbled to himself. He had told Lena to keep quiet about his stupid crush, not form a secret gambling ring with the other employees with it. “She’s dead to me.”

“Everyone is going to think we’re a couple,” Jack moaned.

Gabe turned to him, a small smirk on his face. “Well, we did sleep together,” he pointed out.

“Yes- literally. As in, just sleeping!” The witch grabbed his head in his hands, exasperated.

“I’m wondering if your horror should insult me.”

Jack’s head shot up. “I- what- no-”

“I enjoyed sleeping with you.”

“You find this far too funny.”

“Maybe I’m just flattered.”

And with that, Jack was speechless.

\--

That night the atmosphere between the two was tense. Jack had insisted on coming along with Gabe to the woods while Gabe had insisted it was safer for him at home. It became a small argument that ended in Gabe swearing he had locked the car doors while Jack climbed in and buckled up. The ride to the hiking trail was uncomfortably quiet, and the sole tall streetlight illuminating the familiar parking lot became a beacon.

As Gabe pulled onto the gravel he bit the corner of his lip. The description of Jack’s vision had been nagging him ever since he heard it. Particularly the part where there was another wolf. If it had just been some random fall or trap or whatever, he would probably be fine. Gabe hadn’t lied when he said it took a lot to kill a werewolf; usually that something had to be too much for their bodies to heal such as lost limbs, spinal damage, silver, or other werewolves. It was that last bit that had him on edge.

Even if it was Jesse, there was no guarantee there wouldn’t be a fight. They didn’t have much control over their wolf sides any more than their wolf sides had much control of the human half. His short temper is part of why Gabe wanted to be away from packs to begin with, and it wasn’t unheard of for him and his nephew to exchange blows. If Jesse somehow got the upper hand and attacked Gabe then there were possibly very real consequences.

One look at the blonde fussing in his seat, though, and Gabe knew there was no way he could ever tell Jack all that. Instead he pat his shoulder and gave him a reassuring toothy smile.

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay, Jack. I’m tough as nails, remember?”

Jack’s shoulders relaxed the barest inch, though he continued to fiddle with his seatbelt strap. He nodded. “Yeah, I know, it’s just… I never had a vision like this turn out to be fine afterwards.”

Gabe smiled and took off his hat, flinging it playfully at Jack’s face. “But you never knew the person in your vision was a werewolf before, didja?”

“I… I guess not.” Nervously Jack started to unbuckle his seatbelt.

“Oh no no no.” Gabe reached out and grabbed his hands, stopping him. “Not a chance. I caved and let you come along, but I am putting my foot down for this one. You are _not_ gonna leave this car.”

Jack looked put out. “But Gabe-”

“No buts,” Gabe insisted. He let go of Jack and opened his own door. “I want you to be as safe as possible, and if you step out of this car I can’t say that you will be. The animal side is unpredictable sometimes, I told you this. That’s why I go to _empty_ parks.”

Though he still looked ready to argue the point, Jack sat back in his seat. “Fine.”

“Good.” Gabe smiled, and reached out, patting Jack’s head. “Hang tight boyscout. Only nine more hours ‘till sunrise.”

He exited the car, Jack leaning after him, his mouth agape.

“ _Nine hours_!? You’re seriously going to be out here that long?” he asked incredulously.

Gabe laughed as he unzipped his jacket. “Sometimes I am! But I got shit to do tomorrow, so I’m gonna try not to sleep in a random pile of leaves in the woods and come straight back here ASAP.”

Jack ran a hand down his face. He unbuckled his seat belt, causing Gabe to whirl suspiciously around. He held up his hands, showing he was just doing it to lean comfortably onto the driver’s seat. “I don’t mean to sound impatient, but how long are you gonna... ‘wolf out’?”

The werewolf rolled his eyes. He gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head. “Dunno. It’s not like I take a watch out there with me. When I’m done I’ll come to you, so no wandering around out there, ‘kay?”

He threw the shirt at Jack who followed the movement with his eyes, attention rapt. “O-oh.”

Gabe turned back around and stripped out of the rest of his clothes. He was acutely aware of Jack’s wandering gaze on his back, as usual, only this time Gabe didn’t call him out on it. He’d never done this in front of someone besides his own family before, so his anxiety was peaking more than it already was.

He considered taking off the charm that Jack had made him- maybe it would change the fate of the vision? But no; it was definitely helping him keep calm, which he would definitely need if he was potentially fighting Jesse. Without turning around he gathered the rest of his clothes and threw them back in the car, causing Jack to yelp. Gabe stole a glance and Jack was looking away, his face as red as it was when they were accused of sleeping together.

He snickered and closed the door before starting his trek off the gravel and onto soft grass. As he walked Gabe could feel the fur just under his skin bristle in excitement, ready to be let loose. His claws and ears were fully out, and his back was slowly starting to bend forward.

Jack finally seemed to notice the naked man’s departure and scrambled to the driver’s seat. He rolled down the window and stuck his head outside. “Hey Gabe! ...Good luck out there.”

A growl escaped Gabe’s throat. Dammit, he told Jack to stay inside the car! But as his legs started to give, bringing him to his knees as they were bending and twisting to the proper form, Gabe knew he probably couldn’t speak anymore. Instead he raised his middle finger to Jack in the only way to communicate his displeasure he could.

The gesture lasted only briefly however. Bones bulged and withered like lava rapidly flowing and cooling. Flesh warped over the surfaces and gave off steam into the chilly night air as it reformed itself. The silhouette of a man disappeared, growing outward and disproportionate until it became a new shape.

Where Gabriel was once hunched on the ground now sat a large beast with inky black fur darker than the sky with sparse patches of white around the mouth and chest. Claws as big as human fingers grew from wide not-quite-paws, not-quite-hands. Puffs of white air rolled from between several sharp teeth as it panted, and a pair of deep golden eyes looked out over the scarred muzzle. In the warm light cast over the parking lot, though, they reflected a menacing red.

Jack gulped, suddenly very conscious of Gabe’s repeated warnings. The massive wolf rose to its feet and shook out its fur. A few more scars were visible in the missing patches of fur along it’s arms, though the ones on its body were mostly hidden by the thicker fur. Jack could tell even from this distance that it was easily the size of a grizzly bear, if not bigger. It sniffed at the air, it’s huffs largely audible, and shifted uneasily.

As it tilted it’s head this way and that, eyeing the forest, Jack noticed the fur around its neck was cinched. The howlite necklace. It seemed like the chain had been just long enough that is somehow fit around the fluffy neck without choking the beast. Gabe. Not ‘the beast,’ Jack reminded himself. Gabriel.

Feeling the tiniest shred of either courage or stupidity well up inside him Jack took a deep breath, leaned further out of the car window, and shouted.

“You better not die, asshole!”

The wolf- Gabe- snapped his head around, giving the human a long, cryptic look. Jack felt his heart hammer in his ears. After what seemed like an eternity of unbroken eye contact his tail gently wagged. Then he turned back to the woods and darted off into the darkness.

Jack deflated, a hand coming to his forehead and running through his short hair. His nerves from before came washing back all at once. “What the hell am I doing?” he asked to the empty night.

\--

The cool brisk air whipped by, running through his fur like uncaring fingers. Gabe relished in the feeling though he wished something more substantial would pet him. He rounded the top of a small hill and paused. The only parts of him that were feeling the cold were his ears and paws, but as long as he kept running he could outpace the chill.

He breathed sharply, letting the taste of the forest glide past his tongue and the muted earthy smells invade his nostrils. There weren’t many prey scents with the turn in weather but a few hungry animals still wandered before the snow suffocated everything. There was a strong scent up wind, winding around the trees. A deer lost from its herd.

Gabe’s chest heaved and he launched off the hill into the brush. He slowed his pace, travelling cautiously and putting his nose to the wind every now and then, following the smell.

The deer came into sight near a fallen tree. Young, male, lost and tired. It probably got distracted while the others moved on. Or perhaps another predator had separated them and it had yet to join back up. Either way, it was an easy hunt.

He hunched down, prepared to burst from the bushes and run it to exhaustion at just the right moment, when the wind shifted and turned. Another scent wafted across the way but this one was familiar.

The smell made Gabe’s heart speed up and he dug his claws into the ground. It also made the deer’s head shoot up. Before anyone had a chance to react he ran at the deer. It gave a startled snort and bolted, delicate legs carrying it fast and far. As he ran close on its tail he heard the second wolf scramble over the dead tree.

The chase ran into the thinner woods where yellowed grass and fallen leaves turned to loose rocks and the ground grew steeper. They crossed human and animal trails, mossy boulders with frosted over foliage, and a narrow, quick-moving stream. The deer gained a lead ahead of the two bulky animals following it as the terrain favored hooves and dexterity over awkward paws and muscle.

The wind no longer felt loose and freeing; instead it turned into a force against him. The deer found what looked to be an elevated trail and in two, three quick bounds made it up a slope of flat stones. A cascade of the thin rocky layers rained down as it desperately turned a corner and ran out of sight.

Gabe attempted to climb the same slope only to have the surface crumble and slip out from under him. He flexed his paws in the way a human might stretch aching fingers as he growled. He backed up and eyed the platform, wondering if he could jump straight onto it. However a large mass of shaggy fur slammed into him from behind before he could act.

Lip curled back to show a few teeth, Gabe whipped around in annoyance. The other wolf was almost the same size as him though fairly younger and with fewer scars. Varying tones of browns ran through his fur, growing darker the further up his back it went. Honeyed eyes glared at him behind a dark muzzle.

Jesse growled, ears back and hackles raised. His tail was lowered, the end curled and puffy. Normally Gabe would be meeting his pitiful threat with aggression but he didn’t feel like fighting right now. He was mostly just disappointed that the prey had escaped.

Uninterested, Gabe turned away and began walking around the slope, looking for an easier way up. With any luck the young deer was resting close by since it had slipped free of the predators.

Jesse wasn’t having that, though, and approached him again, growling once more. When he received no response he shoved at Gabe’s hindquarters and nipped at his fur. Gabe huffed and looked at him, ears to the sides and tail raised slightly. He gave a warning growl for the younger wolf to cut it out. Satisfied he was finally being acknowledged, however, Jesse leaned forward and bared his fangs over his black lips, ready to fight.

The idiot was blaming Gabe for interfering in the hunt, he realized. Now even more annoyed he approached the younger wolf and held his head high over him in a display of dominance. Gabe growled, deep and grating and reverberating off the very trees, to show him he really was not in the mood to put up with this. Seemingly undeterred Jesse pushed his shoulder into Gabe’s chest, forcing him to step back. He then lowered his head and bit at Gabe’s front legs, making the larger wolf retreat even further.

They continued like this, chasing each other around the slope, nipping at ears and legs, shoving into each other. The sheets of rock that had made up the deer’s escape route quickly began to dominate the landscape between patches of soil and sparse greenery.

Gabe grabbed at his nephew’s neck with his jaws in an attempt to keep him from pushing him back. He tripped and took advantage of the momentary distance to roll away, springing back onto his feet. Jesse ran after him and Gabe reared up, slamming both paws onto his head. This only served to make him pull back a little and Jesse growled again, now aiming his teeth at Gabe’s muzzle. The older wolf turned his face to the side so all Jesse got was a mouthful of his cheek fur. Jesse spat it out and turned his long snout to the side as he raised himself up, grabbing onto Gabe’s ear.

Gabe yelped and pushed back against Jesse, turning them both. He pawed at Jesse’s chest and managed to grab a clump of fur in his pseudo-hands before yanking at it. The brown wolf whimpered and let go of the ear, so Gabe did the same.

Then Jesse widened his stance and raised up to his hind legs, ready to push at the back of Gabe’s neck. Seeing this the black wolf raised up as well and shoved him first, making him stumble but surprisingly not pushing him off balance.

Jesse rammed his shoulder into Gabe’s chest and Gabe braced himself as best he could on the stones, but they were too smooth and fragile a surface for him to get purchase on. He only realized the danger of this when he felt the layers crumbling like paper beneath his back paws and giving way to empty air. He felt himself tipping backwards and everything seemed to go in slow motion.

Jesse’s rich amber eyes went wide and he darted forward, grabbing uselessly at Gabe’s shoulders and legs, unable to get a good grip without fully opposable thumbs and only succeeding in leaving gouges with his claws. He seemed to realize this even as he was doing it, since simultaneously he reached with wide open jaws and attempted to clamp down on the scruff of Gabe’s neck, his fur, anything. His teeth caught on something as Gabe slipped down despite his efforts.

Jesse’s struggle was all only a matter of seconds but he had managed to at least stop Gabe from tumbling back-first down the cliff. Instead Gabe twisted until he was on his side. He caught a brief glimpse of the rest of the cliff; dark, jagged, and menacing with the glow of the moonlight highlighting every sharp corner. Below was a ravine of trees, their tops like pointed teeth ready to swallow him in their jaws.

His vision was obscured by a flash of metal. He had just enough time to register that it was the necklace he almost forgot he was wearing, only now with the thin chain snapped, before his first impact with the cliff-side.


	7. Epilogue

For the fiftieth time in the last ten minutes Jack picked at the dessert menu on the table in front of him. The laminate was old and worn, making it easy for him to wear down little bits of the corners and fold them over again and again. The door to the restaurant opened and a rush of cold air brushed past his shoulders, making him shiver and unintentionally reminding him of the cold wind in a certain lonely parking lot. He pulled his blue sweater further down his arms and hunkered in, willing away the chill.

Jack peered out at the restaurant and it’s soft, warm lighting. Despite it being the lunch rush this place was relatively calm. Several people sat comfortably together in quiet conversations, ignorant to the other patrons. They all seemed so content, whereas Jack was a mess of emotions. Hell, he had barely slept the night before, and this time it wasn’t because of a vision. Instead it was a raw feeling in his stomach that had him tossing and turning. He wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to eat; he barely even touched his iced tea.

The witch was startled out of his thoughts by a tray being placed down on the table.

“A little jumpy there, Jack?

He graciously wrapped his chilly fingers around his warm bowl of soup and nervously smiled up at the gift giver. “I will admit, I kind of am.”

A snort as his drink was placed in front of him. “Don’t worry, no one’s gonna jump you. At least not while I’m here”

“Shut up,” Jack said with no real bite behind it. “Besides, you know that’s not why I’m nervous Gabe.”

The werewolf carefully maneuvered into his seat on the opposite side of the small table. He leaned his crutch against the wall and picked up a breadstick, which he promptly dipped in Jack’s soup. “It’s not like we don’t already know each other. We met almost a year ago, been on the same shift for over two months… Hell, we see each other nearly every morning,” Gabe pointed out before eating the breadstick.

“Well, that’s something different! We have hung out once outside of work.” Jack hovered a protective hand over his soup as he unfolded his napkin on his lap with the other.

Gabe chewed thoughtfully and swallowed. “Which time is once? Was it the morning we went to work together, that time on your couch, or-”

“That’s not important,” Jack interrupted. He swatted at Gabe’s hand as he reached to dip his breadstick again. “I’m saying dates are different, especially first dates.”

Defeated (for now), Gabe put his breadstick down and picked up his panini instead. “How so?”

“Well, you know, it’s…” Jack’s eyebrows furrowed and his cheeks dusted pink. “More meaningful.”

Despite picking on him about it, Gabe understood very well what Jack was saying. He had offered to take him on a date out of partial delirium and partial trying to calm Jack down after his trip off the side of a cliff. But in the days leading up to it he felt both incredibly excited and incredibly anxious.

“We’re doing this pretty backwards, huh?” Gabe chuckled. Jack looked up at him quizzically. “Well, first we slept together, then you saw me naked, now we’re having our first date.”

The blonde sputtered and Gabe laughed. “You’re as bad as the others! God if Lena could hear you say that we would never escape those vultures’ attention.”

“I don’t know, I think it’s kinda funny,” Gabe said. He winked at Jack. “Gives us a list of things to do.”

Jack groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I should’ve listened to my mom and joined the military instead of moving back here.”

“Wait a minute, you were going to go to the military?” Swift as lightning Gabe stole another dip in the soup. “Next you’re going to tell me you were an actual boyscout.”

Jack glared at him over his hand and moved his cup to be in the way of his bowl. “I was, actually. Got kicked out for ‘poisoning’ some fellow scouts who were picking on a dog.”

Gabe leaned forward to rest his cheek on his hand, food temporarily forgotten. “Is it just a witch thing to be scary as hell? Not saying I don’t like it, but I didn’t really believe Jesse when he said he was terrified of you. I think I’m starting to see why.”

Jack pouted, still glaring. “Well he shouldn’t have attacked you then.”

“He was just horsing around, lindo,” Gabe insisted, though he hid his bemused smirk behind his glass of orange juice.

Jack had apparently come as quite a shock to his nephew. After his fall Jesse managed to climb down to Gabe and check on him. When they transformed back Jesse carried his uncle all the way out of the woods. He knew he wasn’t going to be able to fit both of them on his motorcycle stashed a little ways down the road so he took him back to the parking lot in the hopes that he was “still drivin’ that shitty car of yours.”

Jack meanwhile had fallen asleep in the front seat. A knock on the car window and Jack woke up to see a naked Jesse carrying a barely conscious and also naked Gabe. After a lot of explanation and a bit of dressing up it came to light that yeah, Jesse was the werewolf from Jack’s vision that knocked Gabe off the cliff. All pretense of being nice and friendly were dropped and Jack threatened the cowboy colorfully and within an inch of his life.

Pointing to his crutch Jack scoffed. “Just horsing around? Your leg is broken, Gabe.”

Gabe shrugged. “It happens. It’s not like it’s gonna take that long to heal, either.”

“I don’t care if it takes a month or three minutes! The point is I’m going to rearrange his body parts if he does it again,” Jack huffed, clearly not having it. In the interest of not seeing Jack’s bad side while not distracted by writhing in pain (and also because he couldn’t use the date offer to surprise him into not tearing off someone’s head twice), Gabe changed the subject.

“Someone sounds protective of the big bad wolf,” he mused.

“Well I am, so I’ll keep saying it.” Jack chewed on his straw, not making eye contact. “I’m actually surprised you even offered to take me out on a date. I always thought you hated me. Or at least were really annoyed with me.”

Gabe sat back, brows raised. “Well, yeah, I was a little annoyed by you, but I’m also annoyed by most things. If I didn’t like you I would’ve moved you to a different shift.” He scratched the back of his head, false confidence slipping. “You grew on me, honestly. I actually enjoyed you being there every morning. Made the day less shitty, y’know?”

In a show of boldness, Jack was the one to crack a joke. “Careful Gabe. People might actually think you like me.”

His face felt warm. “I do like you, though.”

Jack’s smug smile turned into a pleasantly surprised one. “O-oh. Well. Back at you.”

Gabe cleared his throat and picked up his sandwich. “Enough of being awkward third graders. Tell me about the moving thing. Where else have you been?”

Jack smiled and continued the conversation.

\--

It took twice as long as it should have to make it back to the apartment complex. Gabe was slowed by his crutch and his insistence that he didn’t need more than one and yes, it was fine if he was on his feet. Jack filled the time talking about his family mostly, and his times experimenting with potions to find out what worked since the only other potion witch in his family lived in Ireland. Gabe kept his side brief, though he did find himself inviting Jack to the next family reunion.

They got to their apartments and shuffled awkwardly in the hallway.

“So, uh, see you Monday morning?” Jack said.

Gabe shrugged. “Reinhardt’s still not letting me come back to work this week. Thinks I need longer to rest my leg.”

Jack eyed him. “Do you?”

“Probably, but I’m gonna be really bored without work. Jesse’s leaving town tomorrow, too, so I won’t be able to bother him to be my personal slave anymore.”

Jack chuckled. “Well, uh, good luck then.”

Gabe turned, a little disappointed, to open his door. “Yeah, thanks. Good luck managing without me.”

Jack stuck his lip out in that thinking way of his, then put his hand on the door. “Wait. Uh. Do you… wanna watch a movie at my place?”

“Yeah, sure.” The werewolf smiled, a little relieved he’d get to be with Jack a little longer.

Telltale red spread to Jack’s ears. “One more thing. Can I kiss you?”

Now that had Gabe outright grinning. “Thought you’d never ask, boyscout.”

Careful of the cast on his foot Jack stepped closer and cupped his hands around Gabe’s jaw. He brushed his thumb on the stubble there before leaning in and pressing his lips to Gabe’s. It was gentle and soft, careful yet easy. When he pulled back Gabe kept his eyes closed, relishing in the feeling.

Jack’s hands retreated from his face, though one slid nonchalantly into Gabe’s free hand. “So about that movie…”

Gabe smiled, more giddy than he’d felt in awhile. “I hope we’re doing less watching and more of that.”

Jack laughed and led him inside his apartment. “You’re insatiable.”


End file.
